Abstract: In some examples, an electronic device can use machine learning techniques, such as convolutional neural networks, to estimate the distance between a stylus tip and a touch sensitive surface (e.g., stylus z-height). A subset of stylus data sensed at electrodes closest to the location of the stylus at the touch sensitive surface including data having multiple phases and frequencies can be provided to the machine learning algorithm. The estimated stylus z-height can be compared to one or more thresholds to determine whether or not the stylus is in contact with the touch sensitive surface. In some examples, the electronic device can use machine learning techniques to estimate the (x, y) position and/or tilt and/or azimuth angles of the stylus tip at the touch sensitive surface based on a subset of stylus data.

Abstract: A position indicator can visibly form handwriting, and can erase the handwriting and simultaneously erase corresponding electronic data. The position indicator includes a casing including a first indicating portion and a second indicating portion. The first indicating portion includes a core body capable of visually forming handwriting corresponding to a writing operation of the position indicator, and a first circuit element that enables a position indicated on a sensor surface to be detected by a sensor. The second indicating portion includes an erasing member that projects from the casing, which visually erases the handwriting formed by the core body, and a second circuit element that enables a position indicated on the sensor surface to be detected by the sensor. The second indicating portion includes a holder that holds the erasing member with respect to the casing, and the holder includes a member that contributes to an interaction with the sensor.

Abstract: A touch pen of a pen-type electronic input device includes a shaft-shaped body, a pen tip used to input information and provided on a front end of the body, a switch unit used to perform operations and arranged in a line on a side face of the body, and an electrically conductive barrel in which a slit is formed in an axial direction, wherein the switch unit passes through the slit to be mounted on an outer face of the body in an exposed state.

Abstract: An interactive device stylus includes a stylus body, a stylus cap disposed at a front end of the stylus body, and a stylus head disposed on the stylus cap. The stylus head is fixed to a front end of the stylus cap via a connecting piece, a through-hole is provided in the connecting piece, and the inner diameter of the through-hole gradually decreases from the inside of the connecting piece to a free end of the connecting piece, so that a limiting portion is formed at the free end of the connecting piece. The stylus head is engaged in the connecting piece via the limiting portion. A fixing rod is provided in the stylus cap, and an end of the fixing rod is pressed against the stylus head.

Abstract: Signaling touch screen enabled devices is disclosed. A capacitive stylus has a body suitable for being hand held as a writing instrument. The body has a tip for interfacing with a capacitive touch screen display panel of a computer system. The stylus has an insulator disposed near its tip, which insulates capacitance of the stylus body. A switch selectively couples the tip to the remaining parts of the stylus body. A controller controls the switch. A mode selector on the body is responsive to being pressed to signal the controller for selecting one of multiple modes. The controller is configured to enter the selected mode responsive to the mode selector and is configured to control the switch unit to switch according to different signal patterns depending on a mode entered by the controller.

Abstract: Improved capacitive touch and hover sensing with a sensor array is provided. An AC ground shield positioned behind the sensor array and stimulated with signals of the same waveform as the signals driving the sensor array may concentrate the electric field extending from the sensor array and enhance hover sensing capability. The hover position and/or height of an object that is nearby, but not directly above, a touch surface of the sensor array, e.g., in the border area at the end of a touch screen, may be determined using capacitive measurements of sensors near the end of the sensor array by fitting the measurements to a model. Other improvements relate to the joint operation of touch and hover sensing, such as determining when and how to perform touch sensing, hover sensing, both touch and hover sensing, or neither.

Abstract: Provided herein are a pin sharing circuit, a pin sharing method and an electronic device, an electronic wire using the same. The pin sharing circuit enables at least one pin on an integrated circuit to be shared by a keyboard device and a touch panel and prevents signal interference between the keyboard device and the touch panel using an impedance element disposed on a wire for the pin, such that the pin can output or receive a stimulation signal and a sensor signal that contain both an AC component and a DC component so as to enhance the efficiency of the overall system and prevent the stimulation signal and the sensor signal from conflicts between the keyboard device and the touch panel.

Abstract: A position measurement device for measuring a position of a pen is provided. The position measurement device includes a first sub-loop unit that includes at least one loop configured to apply an electrical current or measuring an electromagnetic field change; a second sub-loop unit having at least one loop configured to measure the electromagnetic field change; and a control unit configured to determine at least one loop of the first sub-loop unit as a transmission signal transmitting loop to thereby apply the electrical current to the transmission signal transmitting loop, and measure the position of the pen based on the electromagnetic field change measured by each of the at least one loop of the first sub-loop unit and each of the at least one loop of the second sub-loop unit.

Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.

Abstract: Improved capacitive touch and hover sensing with a sensor array is provided. An AC ground shield positioned behind the sensor array and stimulated with signals of the same waveform as the signals driving the sensor array may concentrate the electric field extending from the sensor array and enhance hover sensing capability. The hover position and/or height of an object that is nearby, but not directly above, a touch surface of the sensor array, e.g., in the border area at the end of a touch screen, may be determined using capacitive measurements of sensors near the end of the sensor array by fitting the measurements to a model. Other improvements relate to the joint operation of touch and hover sensing, such as determining when and how to perform touch sensing, hover sensing, both touch and hover sensing, or neither.

Abstract: A position detector includes a tablet and a position indicator, which includes a coil and configured to continuously transmit a coil-based signal to the tablet as a position signal and to intermittently transmit the coil-based signal to the tablet as a non-positional signal. The tablet is configured to detect a position on its surface pointed to by the position indicator by detecting the continuously-transmitted coil-based signal, and to determine non-positional information regarding the position indicator (e.g., pen pressure, pen ID, etc.) by detecting the intermittently-transmitted coil-based signal.

Abstract: A position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type is provided, to detect not only a position of a pointer but also information other than the position information such as, for example, pointer pressure or side switch information. The pointer transmits two codes such that a pressure applied to a pen tip is associated with a time difference between the two codes. A position detector carries out a correlation matching operation between signals generated in reception conductors and correlation calculation codes corresponding to the two codes, to thereby detect a position on a sensor section pointed to by the pointer from a result of the correlation matching operation and based on at least one of the codes.

Abstract: An electrostatic-capacitance touch panel includes of X electrodes which are formed above a front surface of the electrostatic-capacitance touch panel, Y electrodes which intersect with the X electrodes, a back-surface electrode which is formed above a back surface of the electrostatic-capacitance touch panel, X-electrode signal lines which supply signals to the X electrodes from both ends of each X electrode, Y-electrode signal lines which supply signals to the Y electrodes from both ends of each Y electrode, a flexible printed circuit board connected to the X-electrode signal lines and the Y-electrode signal lines at a connection portion, intersecting portions where the X electrodes and the Y electrodes overlap with each other, and electrode portions each of which is formed between two intersecting portions.

Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for providing tactile feedback in association with contact to a touchscreen display of a mobile device. One embodiment of the method includes receiving a touch input to a touchscreen display area provided by a user of the mobile device. The touch input selects a predetermined region within the touchscreen display area. Incident to the touch input of the predetermined region, a mechanical indicator on the rear of the mobile device is physically manipulated to provide an indication to the user that the predetermined region was selected by the user.

Abstract: A handwriting input device includes a housing and a nib selectively exposed from a bottom side of the housing or hidden in the housing. The device further includes a pressure sensor, a motion sensor, and a microcontroller. The pressure sensor generates pressure signals when the nib is depressed. The motion sensor senses movement of the device. The microcontroller records the sensed movement upon receiving the pressure signals, and processes the recorded movement to obtain track signals of handwritten information when the duration of not receiving the pressure signals exceeds a predetermined time interval. The track signals of handwritten information are then transmitted to an external electronic device communicating with the device to become handwriting shown on a display of the external electronic device.

Abstract: A touchpad assembly for use in an electronic device is provided. The touchpad assembly may include a touchpad frame operative to be placed within an opening in an electronic device frame. The touchpad assembly may include a support plate for supporting a touchpad, and a bracket for receiving a pick button. The support plate and bracket may be manufactured into a same component to increase the rigidity of the touchpad assembly. The pick button may include a varying height to prevent the pick button from deflecting and to make the pick button travel for providing a selection instruction uniform. The pick button may be coupled to the frame using any suitable approach, including using springs connected the ends of the pick button to the frame. The frame may also include pads to muffle the sound of the pick button when it returns to its initial position after having been pressed.

Abstract: A position indicator is provided for use with a position detecting sensor that carries out position detection by detecting a change in capacitance. The position indicator includes: a first electrode configured to receive an alternating-current (AC) signal from the position detecting sensor; a signal enhancing processing circuit configured to subject the AC signal received via the first electrode to determined signal enhancing processing; and a second electrode different from the first electrode and configured to be supplied with a signal output from the signal enhancing processing circuit. An enhanced signal having a determined correlation with the AC signal received via the first electrode from the position detecting sensor is formed while the enhanced signal is sent out to the position detecting sensor via the second electrode.

Abstract: An excitation coil (19) surrounding the periphery of the position detecting area is connected to an oscillating circuit (21), which oscillates at a frequency f0, through a drive circuit (20). A CPU (18) supplies control signals to a selecting circuit (12), a sample-and-hold circuit (16), an A/D conversion circuit (17), and the drive circuit (20). Based on the control signal output from the CPU (18), the drive circuit (20) controls the power of the signal output from the excitation coil (19) to ON or OFF. Further, the strength of the excitation signal supplied from the excitation coil (19) is controlled based on information obtained by analyzing a signal received from a position indicator (40), such as the position indicated by the position indicator on the position detecting area and/or a strength of the signal received from the position indicator.

Abstract: A smart surface is disclosed that can stand alone or be contained within a portable computer or other system, for powering and communicating with single or multiple cord-free transducers. Operating or charging power is transmitted by the surface using a carrier signal that is on/off keyed or amplitude modulated with synchronization, clock, enable, address, modes, commands and other pulse width, encoded or digital data. The signal is transmitted to single or multiple cordless smart transducers located on or above the surface, such as pens with multiple pressure sensing and switch capability, pointers, stylus, cursors, pucks, mouse, pawns, implements and similar items. Overlapping resonant inductive circuits are used in the surface to transmit operating power and communicate data to the transducer(s).

Abstract: An excitation coil (19) surrounding the periphery of the position detecting area is connected to an oscillating circuit (21), which oscillates at a frequency f0, through a drive circuit (20). A CPU (18) supplies control signals to a selecting circuit (12), a sample-and-hold circuit (16), an A/D conversion circuit (17), and the drive circuit (20). Based on the control signal output from the CPU (18), the drive circuit (20) controls the power of the signal output from the excitation coil (19) to ON or OFF. Further, the strength of the excitation signal supplied from the excitation coil (19) is controlled based on information obtained by analyzing a signal received from a position indicator (40), such as the position indicated by the position indicator on the position detecting area and/or a strength of the signal received from the position indicator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer is provided, in which a piezoelectric shell has conductive layers on the outside and inside of the shell, which are adapted to be connected to a signal input source. When the conductive layers are activated, the piezoelectric layer resonates to produce an output signal waveform from the shell structure. An alternative embodiment includes a flat piezoelectric layer with opposing conductive layers, which is then formed into a shell structure. In preferred embodiments, an inner spool is located within the shell structure, which acts to increase the output sound pressure level for the transducer. To increase the sound pressure level further, the inner spool preferably includes a recessed area, which defines a void between the inner conductive layer on the shell and the recessed area. The void acts to increase the characteristic output sound pressure level for the transducer.

Abstract: A position indicator contains a resonant circuit. A first resistor having a minimum resistance, a second resistor having a maximum resistance, and a variable resistor whose resistance varies within the range of minimum to maximum resistances are connected to the resonant circuit at first, second, and third specific times based on predetermined timing information supplied from a tablet. Signal levels detected by the tablet at the first and second specific times are used as a lower limit and an upper limit of an operation quantity. Within this range, a signal level detected at the third specific time is converted into an operation quantity. Thus, the continuous quantity can be detected at a fast sampling rate without being influenced by the height and tilt of the position indicator.

Abstract: A digitizer for determining coordinate value of a point designated on a given two-dimensional coordinate plane. A pointing instrument is manually operable to designate a point on the given two-dimensional coordinate plane of a tablet. The tablet includes a flat sensor defining the given two-dimensional coordinate plane and operative for transmitting magnetic signal between the flat sensor and the pointing instrument disposed thereon to detect the designated point to thereby produce a detection signal, and a shielding plate disposed under the flat sensor to magnetically shield the flat sensor. The shielding plate is composed of silicon steel containing 4.0 to 7.0 weight % of silicon. A processing circuit is connected to the flat sensor for processing the detection signal to determine the coordinate value of the designated point.